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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799582">Warmth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgyleMN/pseuds/ArgyleMN'>ArgyleMN</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:34:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgyleMN/pseuds/ArgyleMN</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bryce finds himself in an unexpected location for his vacation. Set around 16 months after the end of Open Heart book 1.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Warmth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Bryce pulled the blanket further up over his lap and settled back in the lawn chair as he sank further into his Patagonia. His front might have been warm enough from the heat pouring off the flames, but his back was cold. The smoke from the bonfire drifted over toward him as the wind shifted, not only chilling him more, but also causing him to start coughing. </p><p>This wasn’t exactly how Bryce had pictured spending his vacation. His other vacations in residency had been a bit more adventurous. Hiking in Peru. Backpacking in Iceland. Surfing in Bali. When he learned that he and Cassie had been lucky enough to actually have a week of vacation that lined up, he’d figured they could go to a resort in the Caribbean. Something warm, tropical, and relaxing, a perfect escape from the cold wind and rain of Boston Octobers.</p><p>But instead, they were at a cabin in Michigan’s upper peninsula. Instead of a luxury king sized bed, they were sleeping in twin beds they’d shoved together. And instead of cocktails on the beach or by the pool, they were drinking beer around a bonfire, the temperature 45 degrees, not 82. But when Cassie had suggested they head to her family’s cabin to join her parents and her brother in closing it down for the season, he hadn’t been able to say no. She’d looked so excited, her eyes sparkling and her speech just slightly pressured, telling him she hadn’t made it up there for this annual tradition since the second year of med school. Who was he to deny her that chance?</p><p>To be fair, it hadn’t all been huddling in the cold and lounging around a bare bones cabin. They’d spent a couple days in Ann Arbor for her fellowship interview at the start of their vacation, and their trip north had involved a night in a quaint little B&amp;B as they ate fudge, rented bikes, and golfed at a much nicer course than they could afford in the warmer months on Mackinac Island. But for the past two days, they’d been up in the middle of nowhere, and starting Friday night, they’d been joined by her parents and her brother. Which is how Bryce found himself sitting around a bonfire with Mrs. Vanderfield and Nick on the last Saturday of their vacation, waiting for Cassie and her father to join them with the s’mores supplies. </p><p>It was a bit strange to find himself willingly attending a family vacation. Of course, this wasn’t <em>his </em>family. And her family, though they were far from perfect, at least seemed to be open and caring with one another. Even now, as Bryce listened to Mrs. Vanderfield needle Nick about the length of his hair and how it wasn’t helping his job search, it felt more affectionate and warm than even the nicest compliments his parents tended to pay him. </p><p>Soon, Cassie plopped down in the lawn chair next to his, grabbing a marshmallow from the bag and shoving it on her roasting stick before passing the bag to him. Bryce grabbed his stick, sitting next to him since he finished roasting his hot dog for dinner, and placed his marshmallow above the center of the bonfire, causing Cassie to roll her eyes and laugh.</p><p>“How many times do I have to tell you that’s a recipe for a burnt marshmallow?”</p><p>Bryce winked and shrugged, “Only like half the time. And what can I say, I like to live on the edge.”</p><p>“Yeah, real <em>big </em>risk taker here. You’re just impatient.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re one to talk. How many miles over the speed limit were you going on the way up here when you got pulled over?”</p><p>Cassie shot him a dirty look as her mother interjected, “Cassie, you got another speeding ticket? And in a rental car? I’m so sick of telling you that getting somewhere five minutes faster is not worth risking your life.”</p><p>“Mom, it was nothing. They let me off with just a warning.”</p><p>“Only because you played the doctor card,” Bryce chimed in, taking great amusement as Cassie glared at him while her father just shook his head as her mother pinched the bridge of her nose and Nick chuckled. “What medical emergency were you rushing to again?”</p><p>“None at that time, but if you keep this up, <em>you </em>will need a doctor before the night’s over.”</p><p>“Promises, promises,” Bryce said with a grin, but wisely decided to stop the teasing while she was only mildly annoyed. He pulled his marshmallow out from the center of the flames, perfectly golden brown. He glanced over at Cassie’s stick, held over the edge of the fire. Her marshmallow was still pale white.</p><p>Bryce grabbed the chocolate and graham crackers off the spare lawn chair, using them to slide his marshmallow off the stick and passed the s’more to her. “Here,” he said as he grabbed the stick out of her hand, “We’ll be here all night if you wait for that marshmallow to roast there, and we have to be on the road by 7am for our flight.”</p><p>“Wait, not only did Cassie get <em>my </em>bed for her boyfriend, but they aren’t gonna even be here for the worst parts of closing up the cabin?” Nick asked as he whipped his head around to look between his parents.</p><p>“We’re just happy Cassie could make it this year. And Bryce, of course,” Mr. Vanderfield said as he made his own s’more, leaving off the chocolate and just using graham crackers.</p><p>“Next year we should close out the cabin the first weekend of their vacation so they can <em>actually </em>help on Sunday. And one of you two can take the couch,” Nick said with a shake of his head, pointing between Bryce and Cassie.</p><p>“I doubt they’ll be able to make it next year, Nick. Bryce, your residency is four more years, is that right?” asked Mrs. Vanderfield.</p><p>Bryce nodded and opened his mouth to clarify, but saw his marshmallow catch fire. Yanking the stick back toward him, he quickly blew it out, but still found himself with a blackened marshmallow. Cassie moved to get him a new one, but he shook his head and made his s’more anyway. A little charring wasn’t a problem.</p><p>“The next two years are dedicated research time for me, so we should have some flexibility in scheduling our vacations,” Bryce said before taking a bite. </p><p>“Oh, don’t feel obligated, dear. We completely understand if you two want to take a trip to Hawaii to see your family. That has to be more exciting than the UP,” said Mrs. Vanderfield.</p><p>“And warmer,” added Mr. Vanderfield.</p><p>Bryce just shook his head and continued eating his s’more. No need to get into <em>that </em>mess tonight. So he let the conversation drift to other topics, from Thanksgiving plans with Mrs. Vanderfield’s sister to Mr. Vanderfield’s new boss, from memories of the time Cassie broke her arm climbing the giant oak tree out front to Mrs. Vanderfield attempting to determine if Nick was currently dating anyone. It was so different than what Bryce was used to when his family got together, watching a family that clearly actually <em>liked </em>spending time with one another. </p><p>As they left the bonfire and went to get ready for bed in the tiny bathroom, Cassie slipped her hand into his and said, “Thanks for coming up here with me. I know this isn’t your usual vacation.”</p><p>Bryce shrugged, “Maybe, but I am always up to try something new.”</p><p>“Still, I know you aren’t a big fan of the cold.”</p><p>“Warmth isn’t always found in a forecast, Cassie.” </p><p>She smiled at him gently, then handed him his toothbrush and toothpaste from the toiletry bag they had sitting on the top of the toilet tank. While she was right that he never would have chosen a vacation like this on his own, he wouldn’t change sharing these moments with her for anything.</p><p> </p><p>
  
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